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Why Flash is Important
Why Flash is Important
By Al Morel
Introduction
If you’ve been to YouTube, or Google Video, or watched a clip from your favorite TV show online, or attended an online seminar…Welcome to the world of Flash. Of course, it’s not always used for good, demonstrated by the highly annoying bouncing or flashing ads for mortgage companies and the like. That’s ‘old school’ Flash and is gradually disappearing.
Flash can make a website more attractive, interactive and dynamic. Consider what a 60 second video clip can do to show a company presentation or profile on a website. In addition to video, tastefully done animation can draw attention and create interactivity between the site and web user.
Flash can also be used to create innovative advertisements, games and movies that can be displayed a web site.
An Example of the Power of Flash, Jaguar is allowing buyers to view a new car their offering. Video of the car is displayed (Web) and then the customer can go in, pick out colors and features that they want and actually print a customized brochure (Print). In addition, Flash powers the driver console for running the computers in the car, directions, and even pulls up sites such as live web traffic cameras in some cities! (Interface)
Flash movies can be stored in very small file sizes, so they can be downloaded rapidly. In the Jaguar example, they imported external information from a database into a Flash movie. This facilitates the construction of more sophisticated Flash-based applications that can automatically update themselves. What this means is that one can use the same Flash interface by simply editing an external file. (See more ‘rich internet applications’ below.)
What is Flash?
Flash is a computer program that is built into computer browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc. that allows for motion graphics and video. Over the past few years, it has virtually captured the market for the preferred delivery mechanism for video. Just last year, in 2006, it cemented its position by allowing the ability to integrate video with controls and animation. Today over 98% of all web users can use Flash. It works on Windows or Macintosh and comes bundled with all the browsers. The battle for how multimedia and video has been won by Flash.
Flash is develop and sold by Adobe who bought the original manufacturer, Macromedia in 2006. Flash is the application that creates the files and Flash Player is a plug-in that is bundled with all browsers.
You probably know Adobe best by using their free product that reads PDF files: Adobe Acrobat Player. They produce some great tools for web designers and other media too. To drink deeply of the Adobe Kool-Aid and see the vision for their products, go to the Adobe site and check out the About Adobe section. (You will also notice that Adobe, the owner of Flash does not have an all Flash site and uses the hybrid approach.)
A Short Flash History
Flash was introduced in 1996, and required users to download a plug-in separately before being able to view Flash content. In later years, developers began bundling Flash Player with popular internet browsers including Internet Explorer and Netscape. With over 98% market penetration, web designers and web users now have little to fear when designing or viewing pages with Flash content.
Flash Gone Bad!
In reality, any of the ‘Myths’ above can turn into certainties if the Flash is not constructed properly. The application is fairly intuitive and easy to learn, to a point. The learning curves gets a little steeper in achieving lean, elegant, clean output. Smooth transitions, interactivity, and small file size can be achieved when the designer knows if the ball is stuffed with air or filled with feathers.
Rich Internet Applications and the Future of Flash
A rich internet application, RIA is something built in Flash that acts like a desktop applications and is engaging and interactive. It can be used to create online applications like the one below that creates your very own holiday party excuse after asking you a few key questions. Holiday Party Excuse Generator.
Here’s an example of a RIA advertisement featuring motorcycle enthusiasts, done by Eyewonder for Ameritrade. Once you get the prospect to touch and feel, and interact, you’ve got them.
About the Author
Al Morel is the operations maganer at CommAREus, a company that specializes in Flash animation, video integration, and CSS website design for advertising agencies and web developers. Al is a graduate of the Digital Multimedia and Web Design Program at Clark University and has a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His email is: al@commareus.com
